Hero of Fate
by SunnyLaurels
Summary: Dear Potential Reader. This is just the result of me thinking too hard about my favorite video game series. Please don't take it too seriously. Also, I'm busy, so updates will not happen often. Please enjoy what will probably end up as an unfinished piece of fanfiction. -Laurels P.S. Fem!Link, because I felt like it.
1. Chapter 1

Link had her fair share of weird dreams. But this one was really weird.

There was a burst of light with the sound of clattering glass. Something with a blinding glow grew rapidly and made the world turn blazing-hot-white.

Suddenly, all that light vanished, and a pitch-black _thing_ splattered onto walls that definitely weren't present half a second ago. It began to writhe before it vanished as well.

Defying all common sense, Link saw herself crossing blades with someone. But she looked like she had two more limbs, lashing out like a pair of tentacles. Not one but two swords were thrust towards her opponent's throat.

A small, pale girl was pinned up against a wall by a giant spear in her stomach. Before Link could react, the child pulled the spear out of her body and snapped it in two. She looked up, but dissolved before Link could see her face.

A jet-black arrow sailed through the air. There was the sound of metal clashing and an awful, unmistakable scent of blood. The arrow landed somewhere, but Link couldn't see.

_BOOM!_

Link jolted awake, her hair still the living definition of a rat's nest. More importantly, she had just heard what sounded like an explosion. She knew it was real because the entire house had trembled. Was Kakariko under attack? Thanking the goddesses for her easy-to-wear clothes, she slipped into her boots, grabbed her(slightly worn) bow and a quiver of arrows, and burst outside.

"What's going on?" she asked as naturally as possible, trying to look like she hadn't just gotten out of bed.

"Well, well, look who overslept." Impa, Link's foster mother, slapped Link's shoulder with a chuckle. Link's hood fell off, revealing her absolutely fabulous bed head.

"Can't you just let me off for once?" Link pleaded, with her best shot at puppy-eyes. Unfortunately, Impa was immune to cuteness. Link was also very bad at puppy-eyes(Romani remained the sole undefeated champion).

"If you woke up on time, you'd know what's going on."

"Fine then. What's going on?"

"One word: Paya."

"...Oh." Link felt like an utter fool. Paya had started trying out new experiments in her lab(read: the basement) a few days ago, and as a result, explosions were heard every now and then.

Fortunately, unlike their aunt Purah, Paya was cautious enough to be prepared for some mistakes.

"Link? Do your hair. Small critters might mistake it for a home."

"'Kay." Link smoothed her pinkish blond hair, but it retained its state of tangled and messy. Link was stubborn, but so was her hair. She wrestled with her pink locks for a solid three minutes while Impa watched in mild interest.

"Don't skip out on training, either!"

"But I'm doing perfectly!"

"Eleanora," Impa's tone carried a warning. The use of Link's alias signaled many things, such as the dangers of being a Hero and the need to be prepared for them. The branching scar that decorated Impa's forehead helped.

'Eleanora' was apparently a late friend of Impa's, but she refused to tell the story. Even Purah, who had a soft spot for short people(even though Link would never call herself short) refused to say a single word.

"...Fine," Link said. She had always hoped that perhaps she would be able to escape destiny's hand, that the Triforce on the back of her hand would have no more significance than the papaya seed on Paya's left butt cheek. It didn't seem likely, but there was no harm in hoping.

"Before you go," Impa stopped Link before she went to do her hair. She pulled something out of her pocket that unfolded with a series of loud _clack_s. "Here. It's a new bow that Paya designed last night."

Link's jaw dropped. Paya would usually design new arrows, but the bow... in Link's eyes, it was a work of pure art. The string was made of several thin wires twisted together so there was no danger of it ever snapping. Link examined the numerous runes engraved on the bow and the few visible pulleys that probably did something important(Link _could_ ask Paya, but that would kickstart a three-hour long lecture on various mechanisms and how they could be incorporated into bows, swords, and maybe some cooking utensils).

Paya, like her aunt Purah, was all about using Sheikah magic and technology in tandem with other... things. Sometimes they would work beautifully, sometimes they would blow up spectacularly in her face. Link would occasionally act as Paya's guinea pig, and they would blow up in _her _face instead.

But the bow... aside from the runes, which were thoroughly tested(but you never know), nothing stood out as even remotely dangerous. Link made a mental note to thank Paya later. Even if they weren't related by blood, Link couldn't think of Paya as anyone besides her sister. Aside from Impa and _maybe_ Sheik, Paya was the person who knew Link best. She even knew when Link needed a new bow.

Either that or she just wanted Link to be her next test subject. Link preferred to believe the former.

* * *

The new bow, Link had discovered, could fire arrows much further than her old bow. But the string was much tighter, so Link adjusted her fingers by practicing on a reasonably placed, stationary target that was around the size of a dinner plate.

For the first few minutes, that is.

Link had a reputation for getting bored _fast, _and the second her hands finished adapting to the new weapon, her target lost its 'reasonably placed' characteristic and found itself on the other end of Kakariko Villiage. After her seventh consecutive bullseye on the said target, Link returned to her usual training method.

The target was no longer reasonably placed nor stationary. It was inside a crate, suspended in midair with a rope, hanging from a tree branch. Link's objective was to sever the rope with one arrow, and once the crate broke, pin the bouncing/sliding/rolling target to the ground with another, while in midair.

Link did this five times a day. She fixed her rope and crate every time, too.

It was her usual training method because it was both a fun and challenging way to practice her archery. She wished she could only practice archery, but Impa insisted she had to keep honing her swordplay as well. Link did have a knack for swinging sharp metal, but the sparring with Impa and Sheik was only challenging and not much fun.

Even though Impa had trained Link for a very long time, she was still a nightmare to try and predict. She'd use her naginata like a lance, switch to a horizontal swing, and vault off like an acrobat without warning. Link got her ass handed to her on a daily basis, but Impa always told Link that she was improving day by day, saying that Link kept forcing her to use new techniques.

Sheik was... different. He was fast and slippery, weaving through Link's attacks with ease. He never seemed to go on the offensive, though. But Sheik was never the main problem.

"ELEANORA! DON'T JUST SWING WILDLY! WATCH YOUR POSTURE! YOU ARE A SHEIKAH, NOT A STREET THUG!"

"SHEIK! STOP RUNNING AND STAND YOUR GROUND! YOU HAVE A WEAPON, SO USE IT!"

Impa bellowed orders at the top of her lungs, yelling about all sorts of mistakes Link and Sheik were making, while using Link's alias. Both Link and Sheik knew they had to focus completely on their battle and not anything else, but that was difficult for a number of reasons.

Most of which started with an _'__I'_.

Shiek held his wooden knife in a reverse-grip, beginning his reluctant attack. Even so, his strikes were quick. Link felt like she was fighting an opponent with four arms instead of two. She was forced into a defensive stance, something she _never _appreciated. Catching his attacks with her sword and shield was a piece of cake, as even though Shiek was a hair faster than Link in terms of physical speed, her eyes and mind were second to none. Instead of just blocking with her shield, Link took the chance to push back the moment it surfaced.

Shiek stumbled, loosening the grip on his knife.

Link discarded her shield in favor on a two-handed swing known as the mortal draw(which was, contrary to popular belief, possible to counter), which Sheik barely blocked with his wooden knife. But Link did manage to knock the weapon out of his hands and send it spiraling into the grass. She followed up with a claymore-style spin attack, which Sheik dodged by folding himself backward at the price of his balance. Link saw that his eyes were wide with surprise, and knew that if he had been only a little slower, and if she had been using a normal sword, she probably would have cleaved him in half.

Impa's silence showed that she was interested in Link's plan, which was actually nonexistent, as Link always fought her swordfights flying by the seat of her pants.

It worked though.

Link stabbed her wooden sword into the ground to regain her balance, pushed off it for extra force, and planted her boot firmly into Sheik's stomach.

Sheik crumpled to the ground with a low _thump. _He groaned and sat up slowly, trying to breathe.

"That's enough!" Impa stepped in, but Link already knew she had won.

"Oww... heh. Nice kick. You really channeled your inner Epona there," Sheik said with a grin. Then he winced and grabbed his stomach.

"Sorry... Guess I overdid it." Link struggled to find something else to say. Judging by the look on Sheik's face, so did he.

* * *

After eating, chores, another explosion, 'saving' Aunt Purah from the cuccos, getting saved from the cuccos, convincing Cremia that it was a good idea to give Romani some basic archery lessons by saying that aliens might try to abduct the cows, giving Romani some basic archery lessons, coaxing Paya out of her lab, hitting the books(both figuratively and literally), and an argument about who would mow the lawn which Paya won("You got twenty rupees from last week and fifteen from the week before that, it's my turn now,"), Link got some free time for herself at last, even though she would rather be mowing the lawn in hopes of getting a fortune.

She took her sword, shield, and bow to have some fun in the woods.

Faron Woods used to be teeming with monsters, namely bulblins, but ever since Impa had single-handedly slain King Bulblin, they were pretty safe.

According to Purah, bulblins were theorized to be an evolved, superior variant of bokoblin, being both stronger and more intelligent. They were supposedly the smartest type of blin, with moblins being the strongest, miniblins being the fastest and second smartest, and bokoblins just being the runts of the group. But without their leader, King Bulbin, they were unorganized and easy to deal with. There were also rumors that some blins could even read and write, but those were just rumors.

Link hopped over small streams and sidestepped tree roots, humming a little tune to herself. This was where Link belonged, not the enclosed village of Kakariko, but the stretching, unending open world. Here she truly felt free. It didn't have to be Faron Woods specifically, it could be Eldin, Lanayru, or even the bustling city.

"It's getting late," Link murmured. "The moon should come out soon. I'd better get back home in time for dinner."

Link was returning to Kakariko when she noticed a small group of miniblins huddled around something, making their strange miniblin noise. Link checked the sky and decided that she had enough time to satisfy her curiosity. Even if it meant dealing with waves of miniblins. Slowly and soundlessly, she raised her bow.

* * *

The miniblins _poof_ed out of existence in typical monster fashion. Link took no time at all noticing the shiny thing on the ground since shiny things just scream for attention. That was an undeniable law of the universe which applied to hylians, miniblins, and all living creatures, moths in particular. This particular shiny thing seemed to demand attention even more than most shiny things, as this shiny thing was a bottle.

A bottle with a fairy inside.

"Huh?"

Link scooped up the bottle and examined the little winged creature. The fairy flapped her wings impatiently.

"Hey there. You wanna get out?" Link pulled on the cork, gritting her teeth and making a noise that could be mistaken for a snoring moblin if one was paranoid enough. The cork came free with a satisfying _pop!_

"'Kay! Now- wait, what in Farore's name is that?"

A bright yellow mark gleamed over the opening of the bottle, sparking vigorously. The fairy flapped her wings and spoke in an annoyed voice. There was something about the fairy that made Link think of a teenager who wasn't content with anything, despite the fairy having no visible facial features.

_"That_ is the thing that's keeping me stuck in here. Great Fairy's work. Thanks for getting rid of that stupid cork, though. I haven't had any fresh air in here for ages. And I mean _ages."_

"The Great Fairy put you in this bottle?"

"Yeah, because I wasn't 'acting like a proper fairy' or whatever. I'm just smart enough to ask questions! Tell me, do you think we fairies should have to sacrifice our lives to save others? I'm not saying that saving others is a bad thing, but there's only meaning in self-sacrifice when it's not forced! It's called self-sacrifice, not _forced-_sacrifice! In fact, one human is expected to spend countless fairies! How is that fair?! Fairies shouldn't be _spent_ in the first place!"

"I, uh, I suppose it's pretty messed up," Link admitted.

"Finally! Someone who agrees with me and is capable of basic logic! All lives should be considered equal, everyone knows that, right?! But why aren't fairies included?! We shouldn't be treated like living potions! We fairies need..." The fairy launched into a speech about equality, equity, and fairy rights, which Link completely failed to keep up with. She used her wings like a politician would use their hands, making large gestures both to help with understanding and simple dramatic effect.

"Thank you for listening," she said with a small bow(she put one wing in front of her and tilted her body), "What's your name?"

"Uh... Eleanora."

"Alright, Eleanora, I'm Ishtar! Ishtar the fairy!"

Link shrugged and said, "I guess it's not hard to remember. Better than Oman Au. I always mess that one up."

Ishtar snorted. "You're just not trying hard enough... pfft." She stretched her wings and said, "Hey, but is the sun only setting now? The sky's all reddish... Those miniblins kinda made me lose track of time, but I thought-" Ishtar stopped mid-sentence and screamed, "BLOOD MOON!"

Link looked up and looked back down just in time to cut down the rising miniblins with a hasty spin attack.

"Run, run, run!" Ishtar shrieked. "They're all coming back!" Link followed Ishtar's advice, clutching the bottle tightly in her hand.

"The blood moon?! It's real?! I thought it was just a fairy tale!"

"You are literally talking to a fairy right now, is 'fairy tale' really the right phrase?! And yes, use your eyes, it's obviously real!"

Link raced through the woods frantically until the sound of a horn cut through the air. She had heard that horn before, on the day Impa had killed the-

_SNAP!_

A huge boar crashed through the trees, trampling small bushes, its eyes full of malice. Riding atop it was the one monster Link wished she would never have to see again, King Bulblin.

* * *

Years ago, the entirety of Faron Woods was terrorized by bulblins. Surprisingly clever, they had impressive teamwork which they used to expand their territory with efficiency. Kakariko Village was the only place where the bulblins hadn't taken over. They attacked over and over but were defeated by the Sheikah every time. Until King Bulbin came in, blowing his horn.

Link had been only nine, but she had taken a bow and managed to shoot one of the bulblins nonetheless. She was feeling incredibly proud of herself when she looked into the red eyes of King Bulbin. She'd frozen up, seeing the massive battle axe. Only because many people had charged to fight King Bulblin was she able to survive. Those people had held back the monsters while Purah led Link, Paya, and other children away from danger.

The next time Link saw those people, they were either unrecognizable or unbreathing.

Impa was the best warrior in all of Kakariko, so she went alone to fight King Bulblin one-on-one, despite Purah, Paya, and Link's protests. Link and Paya had huddled up with their aunt, hiding out of sight until Impa returned from their fight, her naginata covered in blood. Her naginata wasn't the only thing covered in blood, either.

* * *

Link's legs shook in fear. Her mind was screaming at her to run, but she stood still like a paralyzed deer.

The king urged his boar forward.

_Only Impa could kill King Bulblin. Only Impa. The best of the best. I could only run away._

The images of the injured and dead flashed before Link's eyes. Her own image overlapped with theirs.

_Run, run, run!_ Ishtar's words echoed in her ears. Maybe the fairy was actually yelling, but it seemed so distant.

_Run!_

The last cry didn't sound like Ishtar... more like herself. Or...

King Bulblin raised his axe, which glinted scarlet in the moonlight, as if it was already, or still stained with blood. But that didn't make sense...

_Run? _Link repeated the word in her head.

"ELEANORA!"

_Fight._

King Bulblin turned his head in the direction of Paya's voice. Paya blanched and made an appropriate _squeak_, but she had brought Link to her senses. That axe was clean. It would _stay_ clean.

"HEY! I'M STILL HERE, YOU OVERGROWN, MOLDY PIECE OF BURNED BACON!" She dashed in front of King Bulblin, placing herself between Paya and the monster(She wasn't sure if he counted as a pig, but for whatever reason, he _looked_ like one).

Link wasn't sure if the king had understood exactly what she had said, but he sure didn't seem happy. Out of the corner of her eye, Link thought she saw her left hand glowing faintly.

He roared in defiance, only to get an arrow to his forehead.

It didn't actually pierce his skull, so it just sat there like the horn of a very strange unicorn. Paya did the smart thing and ran while she still had a chance.

Link had willingly given up that chance, so she had to at least last until Impa or even Sheik came to help, and then-

_No._

She would fight to kill. To win. Not to let others fight for her, or even with her. That was not her objective.

Link needed to protect her family.

Link glared at King Bulblin, allowing herself to feel a little satisfaction at the thin trail of blood trickling between his little beady eyes. She dug her feet into the ground, spreading her legs apart into a more balanced posture to send a universal message, she would not back down.

"You. Are. Crazy." Ishtar hissed, now shoved into Link's pocket.

"Thanks for the support, Ishtar."

Link fired another arrow, this time at the boar, but it bounced off the right tusk harmlessly. Link rolled to the side, only grazing her clothes on the king's axe.

"Think, think, think, think..." Link muttered to herself. Her only weapons were her bow and her sword, and even though she didn't feel like getting within swinging range, her arrows wouldn't be much help if they couldn't harm either monster. If she could position herself well enough, maybe she could kill the boar. Her shield wasn't going to be much help against the heavy swings of King Bulblin, so she didn't have much room for mistakes. At any rate, she still needed to bring the fight to the ground.

Using an impressive series of incredibly flashy backflips, Link dodged the boar again. Then it occurred to her, King Bulblin didn't have any ranged attacks. He had only one form of offense, and that was charging with his boar.

Link gave the king a quick scan. He was right-handed, he couldn't bend his back very well, and needed to keep one hand on the reins at all times. The axe was huge, powerful, and most importantly, limited. He could only perform horizontal and diagonal swings, as vertical ones would crack the boar's skull. King Bulblin also couldn't attack anything too close to the ground, that was the job of his mount.

Link knew how to take out enemies who charged, especially when most of them were right-handed. Her being left-handed helped tremendously as it allowed her to slip through their defenses with ease. This was no different, except that her foe was at least five times stronger than what she was used to.

She quit her cartwheels and drew her sword.

"Come on," she said, beckoning him closer, "Time to play."

King Bulbin blinked as if he didn't understand the phrase or the gesture.

Link thought for a moment and flipped him a much more colorful sign, calling him something unspeakable.

He seemed to get the message.

"LANGUAGE!" Ishtar bellowed, which was both appropriate and inappropriate as a reaction.

"Seriously? Now?" Link asked, which was a completely appropriate reaction.

The boar raced forward, kicking up dirt. King Bulblin raised his axe, ready to swing to his right. Link didn't dodge, instead, she dug her feet into the ground. While it looked like she was going to try to block with her shield, Link wasn't stupid enough to do something that was no different from suicide.

Link jumped to her right(aka the king's left) and buried her blade into the boar's side. The beast's momentum rendered stopping impossible, and as such, Link's sword made a huge gash. The Sheikah has to use all of her strength to keep herself from being carried away.

"Ugh..." Link rose back up to her feet, her arms sore and aching. Her left was now patterned with dark red. The boar crashed and skidded, throwing King Bulblin several feet. When Link turned around, the sight of the heaving creature surrounded by pooling blood made her wince. Link didn't usually get guilty about slaying monsters, but the way she had sliced it open was downright brutal.

That guilt nearly killed her.

The axe only grazed her stomach, but Link could feel the winds from the powerful swing. Now she understood Sheik's expression whenever she barely missed him. Except that King Bulblin's weapon wasn't made of wood, and would definitely kill her if he landed a blow.

King Bulblin made another swing, which Link dodged. Link had several advantages, she was small, fast, and reckless. She dipped in and out of his range, tossing in a few sword strikes of her own. Several shallow cuts joined the arrow on Link's list of accomplishments, but she was getting nowhere fast.

King Bulblin made his first vertical swing, embedding the axe in the ground. A web of thin cracks appeared on the earth's surface, where the Sheikah had been standing mere seconds ago. Link stared, both mildly intimidated and intrigued.

The king pulled his axe from out of the ground.

Link grinned. She'd missed her timing, but that didn't matter. She knew what to do.

"Come and get me, you-" She called him something even worse.

That did the trick.

King Bulblin charged(if you could call it that) over to Link and made another swing. Link gave up on keeping her distance while she wove around King Bulblin's attacks, waiting for her time to strike.

Link dove under the axe, positioning herself for what looked like a jab at his legs. But it was actually a masquerade, a sly invitation to bring down the axe once more.

King Bulblin took the bait. He slammed his weapon down.

Link rolled off the ground just in the nick of time. The Triforce on her hand blazed gold, and Link felt a surge of power run through her. She stomped down on the axe, sticking it deep into the earth, up to the shoulder. She made a spin attack straight at King Bulblin's neck.

_Thunk._

"Wha..." Link stared at the arrow in disbelief. She couldn't accept it. Deep, red, and warm blood spilled onto the ground. "No fair... I won!" She growled in anger and frustration. Her arms trembled and her hands loosened as she stared at King Bulblin. Her sword was less than an inch away from his throat.

"Eleanora? Is this... blood?" Ishtar's trembling voice was the final nail in the coffin.

Link's legs gave way, unable to deny the arrow sticking out of her chest any longer. The last thing she remembered was lying in a pool of her own blood, next to the lifeless boar.


	2. Chapter 2

_'It sure is warm here...' _Link thought sleepily. _'Am I dead?' _Then her next thought came,

_'Why am I underwater? I died, right? Do I have to drown, too?'_

_'I can't breathe.'_

Link burst out of the sparkling water, gasping for air.

"Where am I?" Link looked around; she was sitting in a shallow pool of pinkish water(Was it water? She wasn't sure) inside a cave, with no signs of any injuries aside from her ripped and bloodstained clothes.

"I'm alive? I thought I died-"

"Oh, you did die, Hero." A melodious voice came from behind Link, and she whipped around to come face to face with a very terrifying lady.

She didn't look crazy or monstrous. She was only about twice the size of a normal human, and was properly dressed, too.

But the lady had a pair of wings that were semi-transparent, massive, and gorgeous. She was the only source of light, yet she glowed such power that it was brighter than a cloudless summer day. At the same time, her light wasn't painful on Link's eyes, only soft and warm. She radiated magic and strength, beautiful as an all consuming blaze.

"The Great Fairy," Link breathed.

The Great Fairy nodded with a comforting smile. Link came back to her senses, and remembered the fact the the Great Fairy had trapped Ishtar inside a tiny glass bottle. Suddenly, said bottle felt much heavier in her pocket.

"I... I died?" Link asked, trying to keep the bottle a secret. Something told her that nothing good could come out of Ishtar meeting the Great Fairy.

The Great Fairy nodded, unaware of Link being incredibly wary.

"Then... my family?! Everyone back in Kakariko?! Are they-?!" Link momentarily panicked, but then Ishtar's bottle shifted in her pocket.

"They're safe. They escaped, thanks to you buying them time. Your sister evacuated the villagers."

Link sighed with genuine relief. The idea that the bulblins could have hurt Paya, Impa(even though that was highly unlikely), Purah, or any of the other villagers was terrifying. Then something else clicked. Something else that had bothered her.

"Great Fairy, you called me 'Hero.' Why-?" Then Link noticed her glove in the Great Fairy's delicate hand. "...Oh."

For a moment, Link thought that she had seen the Triforce glowing during her fight with King Bulblin. Perhaps she had been mistaken.

"Hero... Link, the mark on your hand is proof that danger will befall Hyrule. Nobody can say for certain when it will happen or what it will be, but it will come to pass."

"I... know. I know." Link admitted. She'd done her very best to ignore it, but now this was beyond her limit. Hyrule seemed peaceful enough, but that hadn't stopped the bulblins.

The Great Fairy returned Link's glove. "It was wise of you to wear these. You should continue keeping your identity a secret," she said. "Considering the status of the current holder of the Triforce of Power."

"What? Why?" Link asked. "What about them?"

The Great Fairy paused. "How much do you know about the royal family?"

"Not much, but I've heard stories about Princess Zelda. Mainly about her beauty, her wisdom, her magic-"

"No, not the princess. I meant the king."

"Uh, I know he's a really great king. He made all those agreements with Labrynna and Holodrum, he's also really kind, Impa used to talk about him a lot, he doesn't seem to care about power even though he married into... the royal family... wait." Link trailed off as a crazy idea hit her like a sledgehammer. "You don't mean-"

"The king of Hyrule is of the Gerudo tribe. The queen fell in love with him, and together they bore a daughter, Princess Zelda. Both father and daughter have the Triforce on their hands." The Great Fairy confirmed Link's suspicions with a sigh. "The king of Hyrule is Ganondorf."

* * *

"You should wear this." The Great Fairy handed Link a tunic.

A _green_ tunic.

"I thought the idea was to _not _look like a hero." Link said, puzzled.

"Most travelers wear green so that they can have the Goddess of Courage's blessing. If you wore your Sheikah clothes, you would be attracting more attention than a simple green tunic. And besides, there's no hat." The Great Fairy explained. Link shrugged and slipped it over her Sheikah outfit. She was surprised at how light it was.

"The first thing you should do is find the Master Sword. There is no better weapon for slaying evil."

"If fate says I'm going to slay evil in the first place," Link thought aloud, "why do I need the Master Sword? I get that it would make the job easier, but wouldn't it just work out eventually?"

"Because the Master Sword is the only weapon capable of such a feat. Fate will guide you-"

"Wrong."

An annoyed voice came from Link's pocket, interrupting the Great Fairy. The Sheikah flinched.

"Fate... Don't make me laugh. Just because something is necessary doesn't mean it's _fate."_

Link gingerly took out Ishtar's bottle as if it was one of Paya's bombs.

"Ishtar." The Great Fairy's formerly kind and warming voice turned much more sinister. "You didn't save our Hero?"

"You had it covered. You and your tears had it _perfectly _covered," Ishtar hissed. Link hadn't even known fairies _could_ hiss. They didn't have any visible mouths, after all.

"For how long are you going to keep trying to escape your fate? A fairy's purpose is sacrifice!"

"Cut it out..." Link muttered, lacking her usual vigor.

The Great Fairy gave Link a single glance before Ishtar snagged her attention again.

"_Fate?!_ Don't be ridiculous. Fairies were created by the Goddess for the sole purpose of sacrifice? I don't believe that. We have souls and lives. There's got to be more for us than death. But you," Ishtar pointed at the Great Fairy with her wing, "You're always going on and _on_ about 'a fairy's purpose' and 'fate' and so on!"

"So you denied your fate, Ishtar. What happened then?! What happened to the cycle, to the world, and to you?!" The Great Fairy bellowed. "Look at Hyrule! Look at what the Hero of Legend had to go through!"

"I SAID CUT IT OUT!" Link screeched. Both fairies redirected their attention to her. "Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for being revived, but, I agree with you... Ishtar. I really do. I don't think it's fair for fairies to have to throw their lives away."

"Hmph. Thanks, Eleanora. Or should I call you Link?"

"Link, but not in public."

Ishtar focused back on the Great Fairy, who was staring at Link as if she was spouting gibberish. "See? Our Hero agrees with me."

The Great Fairy regained her composure. "Hero, if you knew what Ishtar has done, you would never forgive her."

"With all due respect, Great Fairy, I prefer to base my opinions on the present, not the past." Link said. "If I change my mind about fate, or Ishtar, should I tell you?"

"Link won't change her mind," Ishtar butted in. "Tell you what, if she _does_, I'll admit you're right about everything, and accept my punishment or whatever."

"A trial? And your judge will be the Hero?" The Great Fairy asked. "Link, may we entrust this judgement to you?"

"Wait, for real? Uh, yes?"

"Then it has been decided. I have faith in your fair judgement, Hero."

* * *

"Talk about snowballing," Link said, carrying Ishtar's bottle in her hand. "That conversation seemed to have a proper destination, but then it got derailed like- whoa!" Link had tripped over a tree root.

"Watch it!" Ishtar exclaimed. "Or were you giving a visual explanation?"

"...Let's go."

After making sure that she wasn't seen by any bulblins, getting lost, and finding her way again, Link made her way back to the village. It was completely empty, bathed in scarlet moonlight. Devoid of any signs of life, even though everyone had been bustling around that very morning.

"It's... eerie," Ishtar said, peering over Link's fingers.

"It's wrong. Just wrong..." Link mumbled through clenched teeth.

The Sheikah marched over to her house, the door was hanging open. Several items, including Link's old bow, were scattered on the floor. Impa and Paya must had been in a real hurry to leave.

Staring at her old bow, Link realized something.

"They think I'm dead."

Link wanted to run outside and look for her family and friends, tell them she was alright. That she was alive. But the Sheikah were quick to move, and they had horses as well. Link had no idea where they could possibly be.

"Link, keep grinding your teeth like that and they'll be reduced to dust."

Link stopped in surprise. She hadn't even been aware that she was grinding her teeth until Ishtar pointed it out. She realized her jaw was sore.

"Yeah. Thanks, Ishtar. We came here for a something else."

Link picked up her old bow and cut the bowstring. She tied it around Ishtar's bottle, securing it with a tight knot. She finished with another knot and slipped the new necklace around her neck.

"Good thing the bottle is so small," Link said, "It's really light."

"Good thing I actually fit in it," Ishtar added. "Being able to shrink at will is pretty handy. Fairies can slip through small spaces and..." Ishtar began listing off the various possibilities provided by changing size. Pranks appeared several times.

"Oh yeah, one more thing." Link headed to her room and picked up her white scarf with the Sheikah symbol. Wrapping it around her neck, she secured Ishtar's bottle to stop it from bouncing around.

"Nice thinking, Link. By the way, your room is _really_ clean."

Link paused.

"It's not actually clean," she admitted. "Just looks clean in _comparison."_ For the first time ever, Link's room was actually the cleanest place in the house.

It made her feel very... weird. Uncomfortable.

Link was filled with a sudden desire to leave.

"Let's go." She opened the door to see a familiar but unwelcome face.

King Bulblin stared at Link, clearly surprised to see her alive.

"Oh boy, that's not good," Ishtar said.

Link narrowed her eyes. Bulblin minions were holding torches, bumbling around in confusion. Some had small axes. They were getting ready to raze Kakariko to the ground.

Ishtar glanced up at Link and gasped. The Sheikah's face had contorted and hardened into a beast-like snarl, her eyes wide open and blazing with fury. Preparing to destroy her village was crossing the line. Link drew her sword, ready to fight. A bulblin archer raised its bow, but the king stopped them with his hand. He swung his axe and roared.

"Not satisfied with our last fight? Same here!" Link yelled, trying not to sound small in front of the king. "Let's do this for real!"

The King Bulblin opened his mouth. Link expected some kind of beastly noise, but he said, "I have come to play!"

"He spoke?!" Ishtar exclaimed.

"Not important!" Link charged.

The king hefted his axe. However, instead of slamming it into the ground, which had led to Link nearly killing him, he swung upward. Link jumped to the right in order to dodge, but King Bulblin immediately swung his axe to the side. She barely avoided getting her head chopped in half by raising her shield.

Link's eyes were wide. Of course. Bulblins were _intelligent. _He had learned from the last battle that embedding his only weapon in the ground was a bad idea. He was taking a much more defensive style, stringing powerful swings together to counter Link's short-range sword attacks.

_'But I've got other options,'_ Link thought to herself. She put away her sword and shield in exchange for her bow. This way, she would have the advantage in range.

Arrows flew straight into the flesh of King Bulblin, but they didn't seem to do more than mildly annoy him. Even though Link had aimed straight for his bare knees, his tough skin seemed to prevent arrows from causing any real damage. Perhaps a stronger shot to the head or throat would do the trick. Link remembered how her arrow had failed to pierce his forehead. Link remembered how Impa had killed King Bulblin by stabbing him in the neck. She darted away from the axe and tried a stronger shot at his throat.

King Bulblin raised his axe with surprising speed, effectively shielding his theoretical weak point. He blocked Link's arrow effortlessly and narrowed his red piggy eyes.

"Come," he said. "Time to play."

"Copying me? Seriously?" Link muttered under her breath. She got a feeling that using her bow wasn't the right idea. Normal arrows were far from ideal when it came to taking down big foes. She had a few ideas which involved her sword, but she wasn't very fond of them, either.

_'Can I win?'_ Link thought to herself. _'Yes,'_ she answered her own question, _'I _have_ to win.'_

Link drew her sword again.

"Alright," she said defiantly, "BRING IT!"

King Bulblin swung his axe again, throwing his entire weight along with it. Link wished she could parry those swings, but she didn't stand a chance.

"Try attacking him while he's off balance!" Ishtar suggested.

"Ishtar, I'd love to, but he's actually kinda fast! This guy can block arrows, y'know! I don't feel like getting-"

_CRASH!_

The attack was so powerful, it made Link's pink hair ripple in the winds. King Bulblin had launched himself too far and accidentally stuck his axe into Cremia and Romani's house.

"Now's your chance!" Ishtar yelled. King Bulblin struggled to pull out his weapon, causing the entire building to groan and tremble.

"HEY!" Link did something that was honestly very, very, stupid. Instead of taking the golden chance that just handed itself to her, she brought her sword down _through_ the axe handle, breaking it in two. Without missing a beat, Link pushed herself off her sword(which was now stuck in the ground), and kicked King Bulblin in the chin, sending him flying. "DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH THIS VILLIAGE!"

"...Uh, Link? Did- did you just...?" Ishtar didn't have a visible face, but conveyed shock all the same.

The Triforce of Courage was _definitely _glowing. Link felt strength- no, _speed-_ surging through her body, and suddenly understood why she had been able to break the massive battle axe and send the king rolling on the ground with a single kick.

"Farore's Wind," Ishtar said.

"Oh, yeah," she said, with a wide grin on her face, "I can_ so_ get used to this."

King Bulblin looked at his weapon, which was now a mere wooden stick. It still served as a usable club, but it certainly wasn't ideal.

Especially considering Link's massive speed boost.

Link pulled her sword out of the ground and dashed straight ahead for an attack. She slashed, but once the dust settled, King Bulblin remained unharmed(and _very_ confused).

"You missed," Ishtar deadpanned. "And I think I'm gonna be sick," she added.

"I noticed." Link was moving faster than she could react, and had missed as a result. The winds were propelling her around with ridiculous speed, and Link was having a hard time not falling on her face. "But I can do this!"

The Sheikah sprinted again, this time aiming to position herself right in front of the king. However, King Bulblin made a jab with the somewhat pointy wooden stick. Link flattened herself onto the ground to roll away, but the winds blasted her to the side. She was now about ten feet from King Bulblin, but at least she had dodged.

"Whoa-! Ow ow ow..."

"You're gonna kill yourself at this rate! Be careful, Goddess dammit!"

"Okay, okay. Let's try that again." Link lowered her stance, and dashed again. When King Bulblin prepared to stab with the axe handle, she planted her hand on the ground and stopped moving, allowing Farore's Wind to push her around her opponent. Link sprang up to perform a Back Slice, but the winds made her jump much higher than expected. Link twisted her body in midair and changed her technique to a Helm Splitter.

A pained roar sounded out through Kakariko.

Something fell to the ground with a strange _clatter._ Link rolled on the ground to avoid injury and noticed that Farore's Wind was gone. As she had lacked control over her body, and because she had switched between techniques in midair, Link had cut off King Bulblin's horn.

Ten tons of fatigue slammed onto Link's shoulders. Her limbs felt like chunks of stone. Panting like a tired beast, Link picked herself off the ground. She faced King Bulblin with the intention to fight. Dead calm flowed through the village.

All of the bulblins- the king included- were bowing at Link.

* * *

"Why did you let them go?" Ishtar asked Link.

Silence.

"You were so murderous earlier, like you were gonna kill every last one of them."

"...I was tired."

"I can see that." Ishtar bobbed up and down, which was probably the fairy equivalent of nodding.

"Life is life. Those bulblins were bowing... the king said they followed the strongest. If that's not a surrender, I don't know what is." Link sighed. "Monsters who just give themselves up like that... there's no need to kill them if they're not going to kill anyone." Link said sleepily. Her eyelids were as heavy as Impa's iron boots.

"Hey, get some sleep," Ishtar said. "Farore's Wind is the power of a goddess, so controlling it's gotta be tiring. I get that you wanna hurry, but there's a point where you have to draw a line."

"That was hardly 'controlling it,'" Link mumbled. "More like getting pushed around by it."

"Well hey, Farore's Wind is usually used in a 'run at full throttle when a fight's lookin' bad' kinda way. I've never even heard of anyone using it offensively like you did. So even getting pushed around was impressive. A bit of practice should make perfect."

"...Unless it's actually supposed to be an escape route."

"Nah, I think you were using correctly. Farore is the Goddess of _Courage_, so that speed boost makes more sense. Now, get some rest. I'll wake you up if something happens."

"...Thanks, Ishtar. G'night..."

Link drifted off to sleep. A bulblin approached her cautiously. Ishtar prepared to yell, but the monster didn't do anything to hurt her. It placed what looked like a fluffy sack next to Link, bowed respectfully, and left without a sound.

Ishtar wondered if that counted as 'something happening.' She decided it did, and woke up Link.

"A bulblin just left that there," she explained. "And it bowed, too. I think they accepted you as their new leader."

"Well, I'm putting the beta in charge then. Huh. Sleeping bag." Link eyed the offering suspiciously. "Seems safe enough." She snuggled into the sleeping bag, and fell back asleep.

* * *

Ishtar yawned. "Remind me why we're headed for Castle Town again? I dozed off during your first explanation."

"I explained more than- never mind. Castle Town is the biggest town in Hyrule, and there's tons of people. I've been there once, and it's really easy to eavesdrop on conversations. All sorts of info passes through that place, not to mention the massive library there." Link said. The sleeping bag had been rolled up and stuffed into one of her seemingly endless magical pockets. "And besides, my village thinks I'm dead. I want to find them before I go off doing any dangerous stuff. Y'know, tell them I'm alive and so on."

"Fair enough. Whatcha gonna do with the horn?"

King Bulblin's horn had been hollowed out and given to Link. She was pretty sure that blowing it would summon the bulblins, but she wasn't planning on using it any time soon. It hang on her belt like a strange accessory.

"Keep it, I guess. Might be useful. Eventually."

"So... I'm guessing this horn works as some sort of trophy? Or crown?"

Link didn't answer. She didn't really feel like continuing that line of thought.

"Anyway, when we reach Castle Town, you should find a place to stay. I get that you want to find your family, but don't forget that you have your limits. You need some rest now and then. And the same applies to me. Nap time."

Before Link could even say anything, Ishtar curled up on the glass. Wings furled up, the fairy started snoring. Link wasn't actually sure if Ishtar was snoring, but the strange whistling noise couldn't be anything else... right?

"Castle Town..." Link muttered. _"Castle _Town, huh..." She tugged on her glove, which concealed the Triforce mark on her hand. If it started glowing, Link would be in rather big trouble. The king of Hyrule was Ganondorf, holder of the Triforce of Power. He probably wouldn't be happy if he heard his destined enemy had showed up. "Better be careful."

There had to be _something_ in Castle Town to point her in the right direction, whether it be the Master Sword or her family. Something or someone.

* * *

"Welcome to the Stock Pot Inn. Are you- oh?" A tall redheaded lady greeted Link. She had a name tag that read _Hi! I'm: __Anju. _"...Ah. My apologies. I mistook you for someone else."

"Really? I'm... uh, looking for someone. Have you seen anyone with a scarf like this?" Link held up her Sheikah scarf for Anju to see.

"No, I'm afraid not. But if you ask around town, someone might have. I spend too much time indoors..."

"Alright, thank you. Can I, er, make a reservation? I have a feeling I might have to stay the night..."

"Of course. Do you have any preferences?"

Before Link could answer, a boy covered in purple from head to toe barged into the inn.

"Anju! Anju! Look what I found!" A bunny hood with large eyes covered most of his face, raising the question of how he could actually see. Or perhaps he couldn't, as he slammed into the counter.

"Slow down, Ravio. Wait just a few seconds."

"Sorry, gotta go!" Ravio placed a small piece of paper in front of Anju. "Sorry!" He apologized to Link as well before dashing back out.

"...Someone's got a firecracker shoved up their ass." Ishtar muttered.

"There's gotta be a better way to put it." Link replied.


	3. Chapter 3

Castle Town was amazingly lively. It was the complete opposite of the barren state of Kakariko. Stock Pot Inn felt warm and welcoming, and Anju's kind smile and soothing tone amplified the cozy mood.

"Your name, please?"

"It's Eleanora." The words came out so smoothly, so easily. Link couldn't help but feel a little guilty about the lie she had been telling for years.

In one swift motion, Anju swept the small piece of paper the purple bunny boy had given her behind the counter while handing Link a key. Link thanked the innkeeper, handed her the rupees, and walked into her room. She dropped her weapons, washed her face, and headed out.

Link walked around Castle Town, asking every person in sight if they had seen anyone with a scarf like hers. No luck. Apparently the inhabitants of Kakariko Village hadn't come anywhere near Castle Town.

"Ella, wanna try the library? Y'know, for the 'Hero' stuff." Ishtar said.

"_'Ella?'_" Link questioned.

"'Eleanora' is long," the fairy replied.

"It's _four syllables."_

"'Ella' is two."

Unable to argue with that logic, Link accepted the nickname of her nickname/alias. She headed to the library, which was absolutely massive. Like, it was the second most attention-grabbing building, obviously second to the castle itself.

It was a pretty close second, actually.

"What's the point of the arrow sign?" Ishtar asked. "You can see the place by just looking up."

" Yeah, no kidding. Apparently the library used to be available to royalty only, but the current king decided to share it with the people and made it public," Link said. "My Aunt Purah told me before. Something about spreading wisdom or whatever. Anyone can access information freely, except the obvious classified stuff."

"Nice king," Ishtar said absentmindedly. Maybe she didn't mean for Link to hear her, but the Sheikah's sharp ears picked up her voice anyway.

Link repeated those words in her head. Yes, the king was nice. Great, actually. An excellent ruler. Hyrule was _peaceful._

But her fate seemed to disagree. That 'excellent ruler' was her destined enemy.

"Yeah, let's check- whoa."

'Whoa' summed it up quite nicely. Shelves stretched on for what seemed like forever, towering overhead. In the center, there was a large circular bookcase. Tables and chairs were lined up in an orderly fashion, and cushions were spread out on the floor. Many people had practically dived headfirst into their books. Link saw a father teaching his young daughter some difficult words.

"Pamela, is there anything else you want to know?"

"Yeah, this, uh..."

Link tore her eyes away.

"I swear this place is bigger on the inside," Ishtar whispered breathlessly. "And it was already huge on the outside, so that's sayin' something."

"Honestly, I think it's overwhelming." Link looked around, not sure how to find what she was looking for, or even _what _she was looking for.

"Yeah, let's start with some books on the history of Hyrule. Or the Hero. Or the Master Sword. Or the Lost Woods, take your pick."

"History, I guess."

* * *

"I think my eyes are gonna bleed," Link groaned. Hours upon hours of skimming through books, and nothing really useful. Interesting-but-time-consuming theories on a 'Dark World' were not what she needed.

"The Hero pops up here and there, but yeah, this sucks." Ishtar slumped on the bottom of her bottle.

Link returned the books to their shelves, and started picking out ones about the Master Sword. The Master Sword was created by the gods, the one and only blade of evil's bane, and could only be wielded by the Hero, blah blah blah. Supposedly had a spirit inside of it, a voice that could be heard by the Hero, a guide.

"If the thing about a spirit is true, then maybe we could ask it for advice." Ishtar mused. "Hey look, it's listing the ways the sword can... attack anyone who tries to hold it. Uh... it's basically getting burned with light magic. Like, really badly. Dang, I think I get why the Hero keeps hiding it away in places like the Lost Woods."

"Yeah... but I haven't found anything about my family. I still want to find them first."

"I get that. But I'm telling you, I've been trying to dowse for auras similar to yours, and I didn't sense anything either. It's probably because they're all Sheikah, not leaving anything to trace. Believe it or not, the closest aura to yours was-"

"Excuse me?" A timid voice came from Link's blind spot, making her whip her head around so violently that the speaker jumped about a foot in surprise.

Link recognized the purple bunny hood right before the boy slipped over a cushion. He landed on the floor headfirst, legs up with a loud _thump_.

Several people stared. Pamela and her father both gave curious glances before turning away.

"Are you okay?" Link asked. She helped him sit up and actually got a good look at his face.

He had dark, disheveled hair and rupee-colored eyes(speaking of rupees, he'd dropped three of them on the floor). Rounded features and large eyes gave him something of a soft impression.

But his sense of fashion took the 'weird' level and cranked it up to a hundred.

"Ow..." The purple rabbit boy rubbed the back of his head. "I'm okay... I think."

_'Well that's reassuring,'_ Link thought.

"Uh, do you need something?" She asked him carefully. She was unarmed, which always made her jumpy. Someone coming right out of her blind spot also surprised her a lot. However, someone with the intention of attacking her probably wouldn't wear something so... conspicuous, so she was probably safe.

"Oh! Yeah, I, uh, wanted to ask you about your scarf." He stuttered a bit, fidgeting nervously. "It, uh..."

Link spread it out so he could see the Sheikah eye. His already-large eyes widened even more.

"Ohhh, I thought that the material was strange, being all thin and light, but that's probably the same pattern-"

"What?!" Link jolted towards the boy in surprise, making him fall over... again. People stared and turned away as they lost interest.

"This is a library," Ishtar reminded Link tiredly. "Indoor voices, 'kay?"

"Sorry..." Link helped up the purple boy up. "Did you see anyone else with a scarf like mine? Where? When? Who? I mean-"

"Oh, stop bombarding him with questions!" Ishtar cut in. "Okay, first things first. I'm Ishtar, and this is Eleanora. And since I have to stop mentally calling you 'bunny boy,' what's your name?"

"...Ravio. It's Ravio." Ravio seemed a bit confused, but he answered nonetheless.

Ishtar chimed happily, "Okay, Ravio. Now, Ella here is looking for her village- well, the inhabitants, to be precise. We've been asking around, but no luck. So we're here in this library to try and solve some other problems."

Ravio blinked. "Your... village? Are you from Kakariko? What happened?!"

"Okay, hold up!" Link kept her voice hushed, but wasn't going to let her questions go unanswered. "You even said _'Kakariko.' _Where and when did you see one of these scarves? Who was wearing it?!"

"I know Cremia and Romani. Thanks to them, I... I saw someone wearing one of those scarves. I don't know them specifically, but-"

"How do you know Cremia and Romani?" Link wasn't expecting those two names to appear. Then again, she didn't really expect a name in particular, but Cremia and Romani still surprised her.

"We, er, came from the same neighborhood. Uh, do you want to ask Anju? The inn lady, I mean. She and Cremia were really good friends."

Link thought for a moment. It was true that Cremia and Romani had moved to Kakariko Village many years ago, a few months after Impa had killed the King Bulblin for the first time. But Ravio didn't look any older than her, and if he had been neighbors with Cremia and Romani only until Link was nine... Something was definitely fishy, but Link nodded as if she understood.

"Okay. Let's go back."

* * *

Ravio's green eyes kept darting around while they returned to the Stock Pot Inn. Anju hadn't recognized Link's scarf, but Ravio had. Something was off, and Link wanted to know what.

Anju was still sitting at the counter, deep in thought. She noticed Link and Ravio and made a puzzled face, her line of sight jumping between the two.

"Eleanora, was it? Can I help you with anything? Or did Ravio do something?"

"Why do you assume I- no, I didn't." Ravio sighed. "Eleanora's scarf... well, we saw one just like it before. When we were talking to Cremia, remember?"

Anju's eyes widened slightly. Just a fraction of a centimeter, but Link could tell.

"I'm sorry, but... when exactly did you talk to Cremia and Romani?" Link remembered now, Ravio had said Cremia _and_ Romani. Romani was barely a toddler when the ranch sisters moved to Kakariko. That was added to the list of _Things that Bothered Link_.

"Oh, you know Cremia and Romani? I'm actually really close friends with Cremia. Do you want to talk inside?"

"Yes, please." Link and Ravio followed Anju into a room that probably wasn't meant for guests. "So, when exactly did you talk?"

"Oh, we talked... about three weeks ago? Ravio, does that sound right?" Cremia and Romani had been in the village, taking care of the cows and horses during the entirety of the previous month. One more thing on Link's list.

"I'm sorry if this sounds rude or something, but _how_ exactly did you talk to Cremia? I'm pretty sure they were busy."

"Oh, that's because my fiancé researches magic. He found a way for us to talk, back when we were neighbors. It's rather complicated, I'm not sure if I can explain."

"Please don't." Link had flashbacks of asking Paya about one of her experiments. The result had nearly made Link's brain explode. "So can you let me talk to Cremia and Romani through this magic, too? Please?"

Anju lowered her head. "I'm so sorry, but only Kafei, my fiancé, can activate the magic." That was what Link was afraid of. Anju didn't sound like she was lying. Link had a knack for telling when people were lying to her. Ravio had also seemed to be telling the truth, but not the complete truth.

"So, where is your fiancé?"

Anju deflated like a balloon. She didn't say a word. Ravio looked at the innkeeper sadly.

"We... don't know. Kafei is missing. We're looking for him."

"Oh. Oh, I'm so sorry." Link realized that she had probably(definitely) rubbed salt in a big wound. In retrospect, Anju's warm and welcoming attitude seemed a lot more sad and lonely.

"No, don't be. It's got nothing to do with..." Anju choked. "It's not... I mean... I shouldn't be like this in front of guests..."

Ravio patted Anju's shoulder in an attempt to comfort her. "It's okay, we'll find Kafei. We'll find Kafei, and you two can finally get married."

"We're very sorry," Ishtar said. "Ella, let's leave them alone for a while."

"Yeah. We're very sorry."

Anju shook her head. "No, but... please. Can you give me some time? You too, Ravio."

* * *

"Aw, man... I feel so bad now..." Link muttered. But apparently Ravio had bunny-like hearing.

"It's just... they keep having to postpone their wedding. Anju was so happy when Kafei proposed, but they're both so busy... and now _this._ It's almost like fate itself keeps prying them apart, it's not fair." He sighed. "Sorry, we shouldn't be making you hear this. You've already got an entire village to worry about, right?"

"No, no, it's okay." Link wondered how many times someone had said 'sorry' only to be responded with 'no' that day. "Isn't there anything I can do to help?"

Ravio shook his head.

"Isn't there anything _we_ can do to help?" Ishtar asked. "Specifically, something_ I_ can do. Us fairies... we can sense auras. It's called dowsing," she explained. "If you show me something Kafei owns, preferably something he carries around a lot, I can help. A lot."

Ravio glanced at another door, and then his eyes lit up. "The Sun Mask- wait, no. No no no no no. I can't make you do that, it's... not right. You have nothing to do with this."

Link tilted her head in curiosity. The door Ravio had glanced at probably led to Kafei's room. She had an idea, a last resort idea.

"Please. Let us help. If we can find Kafei, he can let me speak to Cremia and Romani, right? So I have a reason to look for Kafei. I absolutely have something to do with this."

"..." Ravio looked like he was struggling to say something against that. "Still no."

Link decided to go with her last resort.

* * *

"I'm not sure how I feel about this. Forget helping, isn't this... uh... just plain wrong?" Ishtar asked skeptically. "I think we're gonna get in trouble."

"Only if we get caught, which won't happen. I'm not a Sheikah for nothing," Link replied. She skillfully climbed out the window, down the walls of the Stock Pot Inn, and landed soundlessly on the ground. "I'm not gonna sit on my ass and do nothing because a guy with purple bunny ears told me to. I got a lead, I'm following it. I'm gonna find my family."

"I get that, but maybe there are other ways to find your family other than _breaking and entering?!"_

"I'm not _breaking_ anything. And besides, I'm not picky when it comes to methods."

"Well maybe you should be. This is terrifying."

"Don't you mean 'thrilling?'" Link chuckled. "Open sesame~ Ta-da!" She slipped into Kafei's empty room, perfectly aware that neither Ravio nor Anju would notice. "How's this aura for you? Need a closer look?" A strange mask was lying on the desk. Link removed Ishtar's bottle from around her neck and brought it closer to the mask.

"Okay, okay, that's enough. Geez, did he _sleep_ with it or something?" Ishtar said. "I've got enough to dowse, and the aura matches the bits mixed in with Anju's. Let's get out of here."

"Yeah. Hey, what do you think all this paint's for?"

"I don't freaking care! Let's go!"

Link sneaked out of Kafei's room and closed the window. After climbing back up the wall and into her room, she collected her weapons.

"Wait, seriously? Now? Like... right now?"

"Yes. Right now. I don't want to waste time."

With Ishtar's guidance, Link set out to find Kafei. Holding the small bottle like a compass, she started to run.

She felt great until Farore's Wind blasted her off her feet.

"You _have _to control that wind," Ishtar groaned.

Link lifted her face off the dirt. "Yeah, I agree. But _how?" _

"Well, it's not very-"

"I knew it."

Ravio was standing behind Link, his face hidden behind his strange hood.

* * *

Eleanora was lying on the ground. While her Farore's Wind was certainly powerful, from what Ravio could see, she wasn't very good at controlling it. That was understandable, as Ravio had been in a similar pickle not that long ago.

Eleanora's long pinkish braided hair, sharp eyes, and fierce demeanor had made it hard to tell, but after seeing the sheer power of her winds, Ravio was sure that her real name wasn't Eleanora.

"I knew it."

He was certain that he hadn't been very loud, but 'Eleanora' whipped around, just like in the library. Ravio still stepped back, but he didn't jump.

"Eleanora... you're the Hero, aren't you?"

She smirked and got back on her feet. "Very funny. Might have been better if I was wearing a floppy green hat. Anyway, what are you doing here?" Her blue eyes flickered around him for a split second before focusing on his face. Ravio couldn't tell what had happened exactly, but his instincts told him she had tensed up. Like a predator readying to pounce.

"I came to stop you. I thought you might try to go on your own... because that's probably what I would do, ...if I was braver," Ravio said truthfully.

The look in her eyes said; _What. The. Heck? _

"That doesn't really- ugh, never mind," Ishtar grumbled. "What are you saying? You figured that you would run off if you were braver? So? What's the point?"

Ravio fidgeted a bit. "I'll get to the point. Eleanora, can I see your hand?"

"What?" Eleanora's eyes widened, narrowed, and relaxed into a skeptical, joking look in the span of a second. "My hand? Okay, here." She extended her right palm. The way her left drifted up was so terrifyingly smooth and natural. No one would have guessed she was reaching for her sword.

Ravio hoped she wasn't aware of the Fire Rod and Ice Rod in hidden in his sleeves.

"Your other hand, please."

* * *

Link was _very_ much aware of the Fire and Ice Rods hidden in his sleeves. Not only did they give off faint traces of magic, she also had plenty of experience with concealing weapons. She wasn't sure what to do. If Ravio attacked, she could probably draw her sword in time, but that was assuming Ravio wasn't an able fighter himself. She couldn't gauge him very well, thanks to that bulky robe.

_What do I do what do I do what do I do-_

"Ella, let's trust him."

"Huh?" Link stared down an Ishtar in surprise.

Ravio took off his hood. "I can explain... please, Eleanora. Show me the back of your left hand. You _are_ left-handed, right?"

Link was still wary. Ishtar had said to trust Ravio, even though they'd only just met him. Why?

"Fine..." Link pulled off her glove, tensed and nervous. _Why was she doing this?! _Showing this boy she just met her Triforce of Courage?! He could easily be her enemy! Link's eyes focused like a hawk's, taking in every movement Ravio made, ready to fight if something went wrong.

She must have done a bad job hiding it, because Ravio paled at the look on her face. He instinctively took a step back, raising his gloved palms defensively.

"Eleanora, please just relax. I swear on my life that I'm not your enemy. Here," Ravio pulled off his own glove, showing his hand to Link. "I'll explain who we are, and why we're here. Everything, I promise."

Link went slack. Her mind dropped into a state of absolute confusion. "Wha- Wait, what? What the _f-"_

"You should probably start with what the heck _that_ is," Ishtar said, referring to the Triforce on Ravio's hand. Just like Link's, it glowed with power.

"It's the Triforce of Courage," Ravio said. But the Triforce of Courage was on Link's hand? "Our- I mean, _Lorule's_ Triforce of Courage."


End file.
